&#39;Pendleton Cherry&#39; cultivar

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of sweet cherry tree, ‘Pendleton Cherry’, originating as the result of a cross between ‘Yellow Glass’, an unpatented selection, and ‘Emperor Francis’, an unpatented selection. This new variety is unique because its tree has proven to be reliable to produce regular, heavy crops of mid-late season, blushed skin, yellow fleshed fruit that are suitable for commercial uses in processing markets in Eastern states of North America.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct cultivar of sweet cherry tree originated as aseedling of Prunus avium in the breeding program of Cornell Universityand is hereinafter referred to as ‘Pendleton’ sweet cherry. This newvariety is unique because its tree has proven to be reliable to produceregular, heavy crops of mid-late season, blushed skin, yellow fleshedfruit that are suitable for commercial uses in processing markets inEastern states of North America. It possesses another unique feature inthat it will pollinate both ‘Emperor Francis’ and ‘Ulster’, the two mostimportant mid-season processing sweet cherry varieties in the EasternUnited States sweet cherry processing industry. Here to for, noeffective pollinator variety has been available for this purpose, whichcould be relied upon to also yield heavily itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new and distinct variety of sweet cherry was discovered by Dr.Roger Way (retired), a plant breeder at the New York State AgriculturalExperiment Station, Geneva, N.Y., a research unit of Cornell University,hereinafter referred to as Geneva Experiment Station. By breedingmethodology convention at the Geneva Experiment Station it wasdesignated NY 8182. This selection was initially assigned ExperimentStation Breeding Record Number 62231, a hybrid population of trees thatresulted from hybridizing the varieties ‘Yellow Glass’×‘Emperor Francis’in 1962 and this seedling was designated as NY 8182 when it was plantedin 1964 as part of a population of 85 siblings possessing the sameparentage. The orchard location where the seedling was grown and firstnoticed was designated as Orchard Number 26, Row 9, Tree 122. Thisseedling was selected because in 1969 Cornell scientists purposelylooked for and chose seedlings with heavy cropping characteristics forthe relatively unfavorable weather conditions existing for sweet cherryproduction at Geneva, N.Y., where both cold winters and spring frostsfrequently cause serious damage to trees and flower buds of manyvarieties of sweet cherries. Cherry varieties for processing uses thatwould ripen between ‘Emperor Francis’ and ‘Yellow Gold’ were alsosought. This seedling also was chosen due to its ripening time that fitsbetween its two parents. NY 1725 was propagated on Mazzard seedlingrootstocks in 1969 so as to create more trees for further evaluations onthe Geneva Experiment Station. Subsequently it has been propagated onMahaleb seedling and ‘Gisela 5’ rootstocks remains true to thedescription herein.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new varietyas depicted in color as nearly true as is reasonably possible in colorillustrations of this character. These specimens were obtained at theGeneva Experiment Station, Geneva, N.Y.

FIG. 1. illustrates a bowl containing several intact fruit at maturitywith the stem characteristics accurately depicted.

A BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

A detailed description of the ‘Pendleton cherry’ cultivar follows usingThe Royal Society of London Colour identification except where generalcolor terms are sufficient.

-   Parentage:    -   -   A hybrid seedling of the cross.—‘Yellow Glass’×‘Emperor            Francis’.

Locality of the original discovery and observations is Orchard Number26, Row 9, Tree 122 (as assigned the designation NY 8182), GenevaExperiment Station, Geneva, N.Y., U.S.A.

-   Tree:    -   -   Age and rootstock of specimen.—6 years old on ‘Gisela 5’            rootstock.        -   Height.—2.0 M.        -   Width.—1.5 M.        -   Trunk diameter.—8.5 cm at 100 cm above ground level.        -   Vigor.—Medium.        -   Density.—Above average in number of lateral limbs generated            by all trees of this variety.        -   Form.—Spreading, laterals are moderately upright to about            the same degree as ‘Emperor Francis’.        -   Production.—Heavy, over 200 pounds per season per tree on            Mazzard seedling rootstocks.        -   Bearing.—Annual on spurs and on 3 to 4 basal buds of one            year old shoots.        -   Disease resistance/tolerance.—Similar to ‘Emperor Francis’            in tolerance to brown rot fungus of the blossoms and fruit            (rated 7 at Geneva on scale of 1, as worst, to 9, as best);            also similar to ‘Emperor Francis’ in tolerance to bacterial            canker of the tree and fruit (rated as 7 for tree and 8 for            fruit, again with 1, as worst, and 9, as best); highly            tolerant of black knot fungus of the wood.        -   Cold hardiness.—Very good, crops regularly in test orchards            in commercial fruit districts of New York and Michigan where            mid-winter temperatures often go below −15 degrees            Fahrenheit. Tree livability is very good in commercial sweet            cherry orchard districts of the Eastern U.S.A. and is rated            by Geneva Experiment Station pomologists as similar to that            of its male parent, “Emperor Francis”.        -   Frost tolerance.—Very good (rated as 7 at Geneva on scale of            1, as worst, to 9, as best)        -   Graft compatibility.—Very good, produces smooth compatible            graft unions with Mazzard seedling, Mahaleb seedling, ‘M×M            2’, ‘M×M 60’ and slight overgrowth (as is usually the case            for all sweet cherry scion varieties) with ‘Gisela 5’ cherry            rootstocks.-   Trunk:    -   -   Size.—8.5 cm in diameter at 100 cm above the ground for            6-year-old tree on ‘Gisela 5’ rootstock.        -   Surface.—Bark is smooth with prominent, small lenticels.        -   Bark color.—Grayed Purple 183 B, where directly exposed to            the sun.        -   Lenticels.—Grayed Orange 167 B, varying in length from 0.5            to 1.5 cm and width from 0.25 to 0.5 cm, prominent,            horizontal, elliptical.-   Vegetative buds:    -   -   Placement.—At bud positions 4 and higher number from the            base of new growth, and at the tip of each fruit spur.        -   Appearance.—Pointed and flatter than flower buds on previous            season's annual growth of shoots.        -   Color.—Grayed Orangel 65B in fully dormant stage of            development.-   Leaves:    -   -   Size.—9.0 to 11.5 cm in length, 5.5 to 6.5 cm in width.        -   Form.—Symmetrical halves on both sides of central axis.        -   Thickness.—Medium.        -   Texture.—Crisp, leathery.        -   Pubescence.—None on either surface.        -   Margin.—Serrations regular and bluntly pointed.        -   Adaxial surface.—Green 137A.        -   Abaxial surface.—Yellow Green 148C.        -   Veination.—Pinnate.        -   Vein color.—Adaxial Yellow Green 144D, abaxial Yellow Green            144B.        -   Petiole.—6.0 to 6.5 cm length.        -   Petiole color.—Red Purple 59A.        -   Petiole groove.—Narrow.        -   Glands.—1 to 2 on petiole, bluntly globose, length 1.5 to            1.75 mm, width 1 to 1.25 mm, color Orange 28A with            occasional glands also present on basal edges of leaf            blades.-   Flowers:    -   -   Blooming period.—Early, mid-season, April 23 to May 1 in            Geneva, N.Y.        -   Presentation.—Non-showy, white.        -   Fragrance.—Sweet, flowery.        -   Fertility.—Self-incompatible, belonging to the pollination            compatibility group designated as having S₁S₆ alleles, which            are the same as those possessed by ‘Noble’ and ‘NY 518’,            hence, making these three varieties incompatible with each            other.        -   Pollen.—Present, plentiful, good pollen source for            pollenizing all other sweet cherries except those with            identical S alleles, as stated above.        -   Corolla diameter.—32 mm.        -   Number of flowers per cluster.—5 to 8.        -   Petals.—Single, round, length 10 mm, width 10 mm, 5 in            number, slightly overlapping, margin slightly ruffled, soft            texture, White 155D.        -   Peduncle.—Length 4.8 to 5.2 mm, width 0.4 mm, Green 143B.        -   Filament.—Length 8mm, width 0.1 mm, White 155 D.        -   Anther.—Profuse pollen, Yellow 13A        -   Sepals.—5 in number, Green 143 B, bluntly ovate in shape.-   Fruit:    -   -   Maturity when described.—commercial ripeness, 17 degrees            brix.        -   Date of first picking.—Late, mid-season ripening, July 10 to            July 15 at Geneva, N.Y.        -   Size.—Weight 8.5 g, length 3.0 cm, width 3.2 cm.        -   Form.—Round-oblate appearance.        -   Stem cavity.—Wide and tolerant to concentric rain-induced            cracking.        -   Stem.—length 40 mm, width 1.3 mm, color Green 143 B.-   Skin:    -   -   Thickness.—Medium.        -   Tendency to crack.—Low to moderate, similar to ‘Emperor            Francis, rated as 7 at Geneva (1, worst, to 9 best).        -   Color.—Blush on the most intensely pigmented sector of the            fruit's skin Red 45C, non-blush area without Anthocyanin            pigmentation is Yellow Orange 20B.        -   Flavor.—Very good.-   Flesh:    -   -   Texture.—Somewhat above average in firmness, rated as 6.5 at            Geneva (1, worst, to 9 best).        -   Acidity.—Medium until sugar levels get to above mid-teen            levels in degrees brix.        -   Flavor.—Very good.        -   Aroma.—Present, pleasing.        -   Color.—Yellow Orange 14C.        -   Coloration in the pit cavity.—Same as flesh.        -   Eating quality.—Very good when mature to above mid-teen            levels of degrees brix and excellent when eaten at high-teen            levels of degrees brix.-   Stone:    -   -   Size.—1 cm in length, 1 cm in width at the widest point near            the center, 1.1 cm in width at the widest point of the            flatter direction.        -   Sides.—Ridges, 3 to 4 in number, with varying amounts of            encircling of the suture side of the pit.        -   Type.—Semi-freestone a commercial maturity.        -   Tendency to crack.—Non-existent in nature.-   Use: Processing for production of maraschino-type and glass-type    fruit for uses in the liquor, bakery and dairy industries has been    highly successful in pilot trials. Machine harvest through use of    trunk shakers has also been highly successful in pilot trials. It is    well suited to commercial grower's needs in that it possesses heavy    yielding characteristics under relatively adverse climatic    conditions found in processing sweet cherry districts of the Eastern    U.S.A. This variety will be highly sought after by processing cherry    growers in the Eastern U.S.A. to be used as a highly effective    pollinator for commercial, processing orchards of ‘Emperor Francis’    and ‘Ulster’ and because its fruit ripen mid-way between ‘Emperor    Francis’ and ‘Starks Gold’, the two most widely planted, processing    sweet cherry varieties grown in the Eastern U.S.A. for    maraschino-type cherry manufacturing.

1. ‘Pendleton’, a new and distinct variety of sweet cherry tree, Prunusavium, substantially as herein shown and described, characterized as tonovelty by the unique combination of hardy, highly productive tree withsuccessful pollination compatibility with all varieties except thosehaving the S₁S₆ alleles.